Combination control



Sept 2,1947 wH. E. MALONE 2,426,629

COHBINTION CONTROL Fild June 4, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheetl y unl-ll llllll u Human E MALDNE WMMTORNEY.

Sept. 2, 1947. H. E. MALONE COMBINATION vCONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 4, 1942 y. mvENToR /Wmom Patented Sept. 2, 1947 COMBINATION CONTROL Homer E. Malone, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to Perfex Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin lApplication June 4, 1942", serial No. 445,740

'Ihis invention relates in general to automatic A combination controls and is more particularly -concerned with the control of gas burners.

In many types of domestic gas burners now in use, a damper is provided for the `control of secondary air to the burner. It is desirable to have this damper open only while the burner is l this lever being shifted when the valve opens.` or

closes'for thereby opening or closing the damper. The presence of such a lever on the gas valve raises the problem of preventing actuation of the valve by manual manipulation of the lever. If

the lever is capable of opening the valve, there vis danger of the valve being manually opened at times when it is dangerous for the valve to open. For example, there is a possibility of the valve being opened when the furnace is overheated, or when the pilot is out. In order to prevent any possibility of danger from this source, it has been proposed to arrange the damper lever so that manual operati/on thereof is incapable of moving the valve. In the past this has required fairly complicated driving arrangements or strain releases..

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an arrangement by which a single motor operates both a valve and lever, and in which the lever is incapable of changing the position of the valve.-

It is a further object ofthe invention to provide a ycombination control in which a single vmotor operates two control devices, one control being operated by the 'motor through a cam mechanism which renders this control member incapable of changing the motor position or the position of the other control member. A

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following'fdescription and the appended claims.' l

For a full disclosure of the invention, referl ence-is made tothe following detailed descripf tion and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, /f

Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section .of a g'as valve and lever mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken at right angles 't0 Fig. 1;

the member 'l by means of screws I3.

of Fig. 1;

2 f Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. V2, but showing a slight modification;

Fig. 5 shows the application of the valve and lever mechanism to a secondary air damper which opens inwardly; and

Fig. 6 shows the application of the valve and lever mechanism to a secondary air damper which opens outwardly.

Referring to the drawings, reference character I indicates generally a valve body formed with a transverse partition'2 containing a. valve port -3 for placing inlet and outlet chambers 4 and 5 in communication'. The upper portion of the valve body is formed bell-shaped, having a circular flange portion 6. Secured to the flange 6 is an inverted cup-shaped housing member 1 this member having a circular iiange 8. The housing.' member 1 is secured to the flangev 6` by means of screws 9, a diaphragm I0 being interposed between the anges 6 and 8. The housing member 'l' is formed with a central opening II. Extending across this opening is a iiat cross member' I2, this cross member being secured to These screws also secure a pair ofvupstanding bracket 'members I4 and I5 to the upper yface of the housing member 1. The cross member I2 is formed with a central opening through which the end of a hollow stem I6 extends. This stem is provided with a shoulder engaging the lower side of member I2 and is held in place by a nut .I1. As shown in Fig. 4, the hollowfstem I6 extends downwardly and has its lower end secured in a fluidtight manner to a bellows head I8. This bellows head 4is in turn secured to the lower end of a bellows I9. The upper end of this bellows is secured to an annular member 20 which, is in turn secured to afcup-shaped clamping plate 22 which slides on stem I6. The member 20 is also sealed to a cup-shaped bellows housing member 23 which surrounds the bellows I9.

` v This housing member is formed with a flange vaphragm I0 therebetween.

24 at its upper end which cooperates with the clamping plate 22 to clamp the sealing di- A spring 25 is located inside the bellows I9, the lower end of this spring engaging the bellows head I/ (Fig. 4) and the upper end of this spring engaging the clamping plate 22 and urging it upwardly.

Extending upwardly from the stationary hollow stem I6 is a tube 2l, the upper end of which is secured to a generator 28. 'I'his generator is cylindrical in shape and has an elecas alcohol. y l a downwardly 'extending lling stem 34 (Figs.

tric heating element 2s wrapped around its lower end. This heating element has its leads The interior of the 23 are lled with a suitable volatile uid, such This lling is accomplished through 2 and 4), the end of which is pinched and soldered after the lling operation. When the ,f electric vheater is not energized, no pressure is generated in the generator 28, and the spring 25 causes the bellows tobe expanded. Inasmuch as the bellows head I8 is stationary, it will be l apparent that the spring 25 in expanding the @bellows I9 will force the upper or movable end l of the bellows upwardly, thus causing the cup member 23 to be in theraised position shown in the drawings'. When the electric Aheater 29 is energized, however, vapor will be formed in the generator which drives the liquid out of the generator through the tube 21 and the stem I8 Minto the space 33 between the bellows and cup member. This forcesl the cup member downwardly against the action of spring 25, this being permitted by collapsing of the bellows I9.

During this movement, the clamping plate 22 in cooperation with the stem I6 serves to guide the upper end of the bellows. When the electric heater is deenergized, they generator will cool, thereby condensing the vapor therein.

` This will permit the spring 25 to force the cup member 23 rfupwardly, thus driving the liquid from the space 33 back into the generator. Thus the cup member 23, together 'with all of the parts attached thereto, rises when the electric heater is deenergized and lowers when the electric heater is energized. The heat motor construction ab'ove described is claimed in my copending application Serial No.`

341,721, iiled June 21, 1940. For a more Ydetailed description of the construction and operation of the heat motor, reference is made to said copending application.

The lower end of the `cup member 23 ls attached to a hollow sleeve 36 which surrounds Vthe filler tube 34. The lower end of the sleeve 36 isA of reduced diameter as at 31 and fits-into a guide member 38. The guide member 38 is securedl to a valve member '39 cooperating with the valve port 3. The guide member 38 also lits into a hollow boss 40 formed in a plug 4| ywhich closes thebottom of the valve body. A spring 42 is' interposed between the plug 4I and valve member 39 for urging this valve member upwardly against its seat. It should now be apparent that when the cup member 23l is forced downwardly 'by energization of the electric heater, the shoulder 43 on member36 .engages the guide member 38, which forces the valve member 39 downwardly against the action of spring 42, thereby 1 opening the valve. When the electric heater is deenergized thel cup member 23 rises under the combined action of springs 25 and 42,'the springA 42 serving to hold the valve member against itsseat whenthe cup member 23 reaches its upper position.

The generator 28 is surrounded by an annular cure aV U-shaped ybracket 50 to the top of member 45. A cylindrical cover I for the generator is held in place by a screw 52 which is received in the bracket 50.

Referring now to the damper p operating mechanism, this mechanism Aconsists of a sec-A ondary air lever 53 which Vextends through slots 54 and 55 in the cover 5|. As shown in Fig. 3, this lever is of two-part construction, being formed of bent strips 56 and 51 which are riveted together.

However, within the cover these strips diverge to form a yoke.

'I'hese strips are pivoted to a pivot pin 58 which y assumes closed position as shown. Also the cam member 45 preferably of heat insulating material which is supported on spacers 48 and 41 engaging the housing member 1, screws 48 extending through these spacers and being screw- .Y threaded into the cap 1. The screws 48 also seis supported by the bracket members I4 and I5. This pin is formed with an enlarged intermediate portion 59 which acts as a spacer. The

strips 56 and 51 are provided with downwardly y extending portions 60 and 6I. A pin 62 extends through the downward extensions 60 and 6|, this pin being formed with a suitable spacer portion or cam follower'63 located between the extensions. The pin 62 also extends through arcuate slots 86 formed in bracket members I4 and i I5. 'Ihis arrangement serves to limit movement of the lever 53 about its pivot.

'I'he cam follower 63 cooperates with cam These cam' members are members 66 and 61. preferably formed as legs of a U-shaped bracket member which is secured to the clamping plate 22.r Suitable openings are provided in the plate I2 through which the cam members or legs 66 Referring to Fig. 5, this gure `shows the application of the valve to a, burner having a secondary air damper which opens inwardly. For an application of this type a weight 151s attached tothe left hand end of the leverarm 53. The right hand end of this arm isconnected by -a chain 16 to the secondary air damper 11. 'Ihe weight-15 is `made sufficiently heavy to hold the damper 11 in .closed position. ,If the valve is applied lto a burner having a secondaryl air damper'which opens outwardly, the arrangement shown in Fig.'- 6 is preferably employed.

rFor an application of this type, a chainf18 is attached to the damper 19, this chain running over a pulley 88 and being attached to the right hand end of the lever 53. Thus in both arrangements the lever 53 is biased counter-clockwise by an external force and serves kto open the damper upon clockwise rotation of the lever about its pivot.

When the heat motor is deenergized, the Valve follower pin 63 engages the low surface 12 on the cam, thus permitting the lever 53 to assume its counter-clockwise position in which the secondary air damper is closed. When the parts are in the positions shown it should be noted that the secondary air lever 53 is incapable of causing any opening movement of the valve. Thus if the lever 53 is manually rotated clockwise, the cam follower pin 63 merely becomes disengaged from the cam surface 12 and the valve remains stationary. It should also be noted that when the 3 srl These strips lie parallel and adjacent each other outside of the cover.

-bellows assembly moves downwardly, as previously described, for moving the valve member 39 away from its seat. With the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, the shoulder 43 will engage the guide 38 for the valve member before the inclined cam surface engages the cam follower 63. Thus lwith this arrangement the valve opens and the secondary air damper remains stationary during initial opening movement of the valve. When the valveA approaches wide openposition, the inclined surface 1| engages the cam follower 83, thereby urging the lever 53 clockwise about its pivot for opening the secondary air damper. When the valve reaches wide open position, the

l raised cam surface 1i engages the cam follower,

wise, the cam follower merely is forced against the cam surface 1i. Inasmuch as this surface is Q0 parallel w th the direction of movement of the cam, the ateral force applied to the cam by the follower produces no longitudinal component of force.

jury to the bellows assembly. Thus regardless 'of the force applied to the secondary air lever 53,

the valve will remain in open;` position and no harm can result.

In controlling certain types of burners, it is desirable to have the secondary air damper open before gas is admitted to the burner. This result can be obtained simply by changing the relation between the cam surfaces and changing the position of the shoulder 43 on the valve stem. 1n Fig. 4 it will be noted that when the valve is in closed position the inclined surface 10 engages the cam follower 63 and that a considerable space is present between the shoulder 43 on the valve stem and the valve guide 38. Thus when the heat motor is energized, causing downward motion of the bellows assembly and cams, the secondary air lever is rocked clockwise upon initial movement of the-parts. At this time the valve member 39 remains s tationary due to the fact that the shoulder 43 has not yet engaged the guide 38.

ondary air damper of a gas valve, this arrange-'- At thistime the guide pin 13 restrains ylateral motion of the cams and prevents any in- Number by manipulation of the lever arm for the damper. It should also be apparent that the present invention prevents any possibility of injury to the various parts of the valve mechanism due to misuse of the secondary air leve While the invention is of particular utilit in controlling gas burners, it is notlimited to this particular application. As many modifications and adaptations may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, it is desired to be limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1.A A combination gas valve and damper operator for a gas fired furnacehaving a gas burner and a secondary air damper, comprising, a valve casinghaving a valve port therein, a valve member cooperating with said valve port, a valve stem for actuating said valve member, a motor for shifting said valve stem longitudinally for opening and closing the valve, a cover forcovering at least a portion of said motor, a lever extending fro-m said cover in a direction substantially perpendicular to said valve stem, a longitudinal cam within said cover and actuated by said motor in a direction parallel with said valve stem, a cam follower cooperating with said lever and cam to cause movement of saidlever upon movement of the valve, said cam having an inclined surface adapted to engage the cam follower as the valve stem-is shifted between open and closed positions,

the camalso .having a surface substantlallly parallel with the direction of movement of the cam, said last mentioned surface engaging the follower when the valve is at one of said positions.

whereby the valve cannot be moved toward the other of said positions by manual actuation of said lever.

2. A combination gas valve and damper operator for a gas red furnace having a gas burner and a secondary air damper, comprising, a valve casing having a valve port therein, a valve member cooperating with said valve port, a valvestem for actuating said .valve member, a motor for shifting said valve stem longitudinally for opening and closing the valve, a cover for covering at least avportion of said motor, a lever extending ment of the valve, said cam having an inclined surface adapted to engage the cam follower as the valve stemis shifted between open and closed positions.

lHOMER. E. MALON'E.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Marshall Nov. 16, 1909 Branche Oct. 29, 1935 Bryant July 5, 1937 Fuller Jan. 14, 1930 McKee Dec. 5, 1933 

